Archives for June 2012

After I graduated from college I took a job as a consultant for a major tech company (read: lots of travel). I knew that the single most important purchase I could make for this position was a great work bag. I spent months scouring websites and asking around to figure out A) what brand was best/most durable and B) which brands carried styles that didn’t feel too manly. I ended up at Tumi and narrowed in on the Tumi Bellevue.

One of my biggest requirements was that the bag be big enough to carry a large work laptop, a personal laptop, and all of my personal items such as chargers, wallets, headphones, etc. This bag is perfect. With room for two laptops and a second zipper compartment to spare, i’ve got room for all of my essentials.

Wearing it here with a typical work outfit, the durable material, gorgeous gold hardware and over the body strap make this bag a winner in my book. I’m absolutely in love. And the best part? I scored this beauty at 50% off!

Jambox by Jawbone. A portable wireless speaker system. Sold at all AT&T and Apple stores

My friends and family know that I am a bit of a tech/gadget junkie. I love the newest electronic devices. Everything from new phones, cameras, computers and tablets to personal speakers like the one above, I have to have ’em. As a consultant for a major technology company, I guess that comes with part of the territory.

This last week my boyfriend, also a tech junkie, introduced me to the Jambox by Jawbone, or in other words, the coolest new electronic device of all time. This tiny portable wireless speaker syncs to your cell phone, ipad, computer, or any electronic device to emit the clearest most amazing sound. It runs off of Bluetooth or wire and also acts as a microphone, so if you are listening to music and get a call on your phone, the device instantly switches over allowing you to vocally answer and take your call. Like, whoa.

Needless to say, this isn’t your standard post. But technology is another one of my passions and it would act as a unique post for your Saturday afternoon!

In college I studied Women’s Studies. One of the things my professors always stressed was positive body image. They detested body type “categories” and believed that every woman was unique. While I wholeheartedly agreed (and thankfully have a positive body image myself), my rebuttal was always that I had to dress my body somehow, and needed some sort of guidance. The body charts didn’t define my shape, but they did give some direction as to what looked good and what might not.

However, I very quickly realized that my body shape was not on any of the charts or graphs I found. My measurements were not proportional to a “typical” pearshape or “typical” hourglass woman.

As with many pearshapes, our measurements land us off of the charts. Our hips are much larger than our waists and often, much larger than our chests.

Below is a “standard” fit guide to measure your body shape found on the Stylish Planner.

My measurements are 36-30-43, making my differences:

Chest to Waist = 6 inches

Hips to Waist = 13 inches

Chest to Hips = 7 inches

As you can see, the disparity between my hips and waist puts me at Hourglass, but my chest to waist measurements make me an Apple, while my chest to hips make me Curvy. Like with most pearshaped or curvy women, we do not fit in any one category. At first, this lack of “fitting in” frustrated me. I spent many years hating my body shape, dieting to try and look different, and secretly wishing every night my wide-set hips and large chest would disappear. It was only after coming to terms with my body shape, dressing for what fit me and not the size graphs, that I learned to love my shape, appreciate my figure, and dress a figure “off the charts”

Along the way i’ve picked up some tips for dressing my pearshaped body:

1. Don’t Be Afraid to Show It Off

One of the greatest pieces of advice I got from my mother (who also has a curvy figure), was not to be afraid to wear form fitting or silhouette-hugging clothing. Clothing that fits and hugs a pearshaped body is infinitely more flattering than loose fitting or baggy garments. And the best part? Clothing that sits closer to the body can help make you feel confident and sexy!

2. Stay Away From the “Flow”

In conjunction with the first tip, flowy or loose clothing does nothing to show off your shape. As pearshaped women we have curves that deserved to be highlighted! While baggier clothing might be in style, it does nothing for a pearshape.

3. Balance it Out

With fuller hips comes the challenge of balancing out the top half of our bodies. Always try and stay in proportion. If you plan on wearing bell-bottoms that day, stick with tighter tops on top to show off your narrow middle. If I wear a tight pencil skirt for work, I do my best to wear chunky statement necklaces to draw the eye upward. It is all about balance!

Part of loving and accepting my pearshaped figure is maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and feeling good. Aside from my Medifast 5+1 plan that I do during the days, I try and cook healthy, delicious meals at least 3-4 times per week. Gina’s website, Skinnytaste has been my go-to site for healthy recipes. A few days back I decided to try my hand at one of my favorite high-calorie meals: enchiladas and rice, but using Gina’s recipes, cook a low-calorie version. Pairing her spicy chicken enchiladas with zesty cilantro brown rice, I had an incredible meal, with very little prep time.

The result was just what I hoped for. A delicious, flavorful meal that was healthy to boot. It doesn’t get much better than that!